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Season's Eatings! 7 Holiday Treats to Skip

Have you recovered from your Thanksgiving meal yet? Then it's time to plan ahead for all the temptations of holiday tables yet to come! There's no need to be a Grinch when it comes to every tasty treat, but Rachel Berman RD, Director...

Have you recovered from your Thanksgiving meal yet? Then it's time to plan ahead for all the temptations of holiday tables yet to come! There's no need to be a Grinch when it comes to every tasty treat, but Rachel Berman RD, Director of Nutrition for CalorieCount.com, gave us the dish on what to avoid -- and delicious alternatives to enjoy instead. Fa la la

Large Christmas cookies decorated with frosting and candies (240 calories, 16 g fat per cookie) - They may be pretty and beckon your sweet tooth, but those temptresses are turbo-loaded with fattening ingredients. For your sugar cookie fix, instead of making the big cookies and piling on the frosting, candy decorations and sprinkles, try making smaller cut-outs and sprinkling them with just a little green or red sugar as soon as they come out of the oven for a lighter, but just as festive, cookie spread! (73 calories, 3.5 g fat per cookie).

Potato latkes (240 calories, 11 g fat per per latke) - Alas, most potato latkes are loaded with calories and fat. This holiday, a great alternative is Dr. Praeger's Sweet Potato Pancakes, which Berman says have even more flavor than a traditional latke. (80 calories, 2 g fat per latke).

Hot artichoke dip (100 calories, 8 g fat per 2 tbsp serving) - Artichoke dip can be dangerous because, as Berman points out -- who only eats two tablespoons? Plus, don't forget about the chips it's usually served with. For a tasty app, alternative turkey meatballs are a great substitute because they are chock-full of lean protein, pre-portioned and delicious. (65 calories, 1.4 g fat per serving).

Green bean casserole (309 calories, 24.7 g fat per one-cup serving) - Don't be fooled by the greenery in the title -- green bean casserole with fried onions can be an ominous side dish. Try simple grilled asparagus brushed with olive oil for the benefits of vitamins and minerals, without the excess fat. (84 calories, 5.4 g fat per six spears).

Honey glazed ham (283 calories, 18.3 g fat, 1,250 mg sodium per 5 oz serving) - Ham is a lean meat, but when glazed and cured, excess fat, sugar and sodium are added to the mix. For the same amount of calories, you can have a lean beef sirloin marinated in its own juices and whatever spices you'd like, with a fraction of the sodium and zero sugar. (274 calories, 10.4 g fat, 120 mg sodium per 5 oz serving).

Gingerbread cookies (180 calories, 8 g fat per cookie) - Ginger is such a holiday flavor, but avoid the extra-large gingerbread cookies this season and indulge in ginger snaps instead. They're just as delicious and have a tasty crunch. Not to mention, you can have three ginger snaps for less than half the calories in one gingerbread cookie! (68 calories, 2.5 g fat per three cookies).

A slice of Buche de Noel (235 calories, 10.5 g fat per 1/8 piece of 18 oz cake) - Chocolate cake desserts like the beautiful but deadly Buche de Noel are generally brimming with fat and calories. Instead, try drizzling a light and crispy Italian Pizzelle cookie with dark chocolate for a delicious and decadent way to end a holiday meal. (55 calories, 3.2 g fat per one large cookie with chocolate).**